Tolbena
by JennayaO'Neill
Summary: SG-1 is trapped in an alien laboratory with no way out, trying to survive the test the aliens are performing. Meanwhile aliens invade the SGC and Dixon and Griff have to locate the alien invaders in time to save the SGC.


**The SGC**

****

General Hammond stood watching the Gateroom from the observation window in the briefing room. SG-11, the last unit out was returning from a normal exploratory mission to an unoccupied world. Normal, he laughed to himself; he didn't even know what normal was anymore. The commanding officer of the SGC had ordered all units recalled from the field as a precaution. And hopefully, he prayed, for a chance at a rescue mission. 

Hammond's mind wondered for a moment, he'd seen many changes in his teams over the years. New teams had been created, individual members or entire teams replaced as people were promoted, reassigned, or killed in the line of duty. Only one original team created seven years ago, consisted of the same people today as it did that day he sent them out on their first mission together. The irreverent Colonel Jack O'Neill - who never left a man behind. Major Samantha Carter - the brilliant scientist who'd saved the SGC more times then Hammond could count. Dr. Daniel Jackson - the archeologist and skilled linguist. And the alien Jaffa, Teal'c, who no longer carried a symbiote. They were his first and best team, SG-1. 

As Hammond took a drink of his coffee as an unpleasant thought flashed through his mind. All good things must come to an end, and he feared this just might be the end of SG-1. Everything Hammond had witnessed in that room and this place over the years had not prepared him for last 48 hours. Half of SG-1 was in the infirmary fighting for their lives, and the other half he had no way of reaching or helping. If they were even still alive, Hammond knew O'Neill would do everything humanly possible, and then some, to get the rest of his team home. 

As Hammond walked to his office, his thoughts wondered back to two days ago. Maybe, if he'd been a little more superstitious himself, they wouldn't be in this mess.

-------------------

"Nope, don't want it, not taking my team there."

"What do you mean Major?" Hammond asked. 

"General, it's just not a good sign, the name of this planet. Come on." The Major started then he looked up and over the briefing room conference table, meeting the General's eyes quickly adding, "Sir."

"Griff, the computer assigns a name based on algorithmic calculations, using the number of moons with their orbital pattern, the planets distance from its star, the planets typing, and distance from Earth. The name is based purely on mathematical calculations." Major Carter argued. She was sitting across the table from Major Russell Griff and next to Colonel O'Neill. She couldn't believe they were having this conversation; she knew Griff was superstitious, but this was ridiculous.

"You want me to take my team out on Friday the 13th, to P13X666? What's with the 13 anyway, most planets only have one number between the P and the X?" 

"It's got three moons in one elliptical orbit. It's unusual for all the moons to be in the same orbital path, yes, but that doesn't mean the planet's cursed." 

Hammond sat quietly at the head of the table, watching the interplay between his officers. Something was going on with the Colonel he observed. Colonel O'Neill was flipping through his briefing folder, a look of aversion on his face, taking his time before joining the conversation.

"That's not it, Carter. Griff saw the pictures the MALP sent back from P4X892."

"Sir?" Carter was confused. 

Hammond observed quietly; his 2IC was up to something. 

"The beach planet with the indigenous life…engaging in recreational activities." O'Neil winked at Griff; he understood why he preferred that planet. "We'll take it, Sir. You've seen one beach you've seen 'em all, besides P13X666 has nice 'trees'." O'Neill made a face as he said trees. 

Not particularly fond of planets with lots of trees around the Stargate O'Neill always managed some sarcastic comment about them. He looked over at Hammond, and then exchanged folders with Griff across the table.

"Oh, that's the planet with the naked women in the lagoon and lounging on the beach. I should have known that the MALP's first pictures of that planet would have made it around the base." Carter shook her head and rolled her eyes at them, mumbling under her breath 'men'. She was totally unaware of the exchange between her Colonel and their commanding officer.

"Very well, you have your assignments for a standard six-hour recon. You leave at 1000 hours, Colonel. Major, have your team ready to embark at 1100 hours. Dismissed. Colonel, my office please." Hammond stood and returned to his office.

"Think you can get past the area around the Stargate in six hours, Russ?" O'Neill quipped as they picked up their paperwork off the table. 

"I don't know. It depends on how many indigenous life forms are on the beach." Griff smirked as he left the room.

"You owe me!" O'Neill yelled after him. Major Griff didn't turn around, but instead raised his folder over his head as if to say 'yeah, sure, you got it', and then continued down the stairs. 

O'Neill watched Carter leave the briefing room mumbling before walking into Hammond's office. Although he would never tell her, O'Neill wasn't comfortable taking her to this planet. A planet where the women wore nothing - at least on the beach, but the men wore clothing. He couldn't be sure this was their normal lifestyle, and didn't want to take the risk. 

Hammond acknowledged the same concern, and agreed switching the assignments around was best. Until they knew more about the local culture, he wouldn't send any woman to that planet - although he wouldn't mind going himself. 

-------------------

General Hammond watched SG-1's departure exactly 1000 hours. He signed some paperwork handed to him in the control room, and then headed back upstairs to his office. Just as he made it to the top of the stairs, the Chevrons glowed and an incoming wormhole was established. Hammond rushed back down the stairs; no one was due back for at least 3 hours. 

Unscheduled off world activation was announced over the PA system as the Iris closed and the defense teams ran into the Gateroom. Major Griff walked into the control room standing next to Hammond waiting to see what was happening.

"Receiving IDC, it's…SG-1, Sir." The technician on duty, SSG Davis, stated with concern and confusion in his voice.

"What? They just went through. Get a medical team down there. Open the Iris." Hammond ordered. He and Griff shared a knowing look - this was bad.

They watched as the defense team ran into the Gateroom taking their positions. When the Iris opened, everyone took a deep breath bracing for the worst. A team returning after only five minutes was for a couple of reasons – either they were under fire, someone was injured or both. The Iris was open for almost fifteen seconds before anything happened. Then with a force Hammond had never seen before, Teal'c was propelled through the gate landing 2/3 the way down the ramp. 

A loud voice, like someone using a microphone yelled - "NO GOA'ULD OR JAFFA ALLOWED ON OUR PLANET!" The voice came out of the Stargate somehow, but it wasn't a radio transmission. The Stargate shut down, instantly reactivated, and then shut down again all in the space of mere seconds - with Teal'c being the only person who'd came through it. 

Hammond ordered the medical team to get Teal'c off the ramp quickly. They needed to redial, and find out where the rest of SG-1 was. 

Every attempt to redial P13X666 was unsuccessful. The seven Chevrons glowed but the wormhole refused to engage. There was nothing wrong with the dialing computer; they could create outgoing wormholes to any other Stargate. Something or someone was preventing them from establishing a wormhole to P13X666. Major Griff never made it to the beach planet that day. He wanted the rescue mission when a wormhole was finally established. 

**The Planet**

SG-1 came out of the wormhole looking at beautiful forest with a mixture of trees, similar to Earth's evergreens, pines, and oaks. They were a breath taking mixture of colors greens, yellows, blues, purples, and reds.

"Well campers, we have blue and purple trees? That's a first. Ever seen anything like this before Teal'c?"

"I have not." He replied. 

"The MALP didn't show this, Sir. All the trees appeared green."

"Maybe the MALP's color blind, Carter." O'Neill shrugged his shoulders. "Let's see what we've got to go with blue and purple trees." He emphasized trees as they started down the steps in front of the Stargate.

"O'NEILL!" Teal'c yelled his CO's name, with a sound of urgency that only meant trouble. He pointed at something quickly approaching, floating above the tree line.

"What the...?" O'Neill said, as they watched ten grayish cloud-like beings coming towards them. 

"That's definitely different." Daniel stated helpfully. "I wonder if they're friendly 'ghosts'? Teal'c have you ever seen anything like _this_ before?"

"I have not, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c answered. 

"I've got a bad feeling about this Sir." Carter said just before the first lightening bolt struck the ground near Teal'c.

"Ya think? Hit the deck." O'Neill ordered as the team dove for cover behind a small crumbling stonewall surrounding the Stargate. Mumbling to himself, O'Neill wondered if it was too late to go to the beach planet instead.

Lighten bolts continued aiming at Teal'c until one hit him, rendering him unconscious. O'Neill and Carter fired their weapons; the shells only went through the misty cloud-like beings. Meanwhile, Daniel pulled Teal'c closer to the wall for cover. 

The beings stopped and hovered above them, no longer sending out lightening bolts, and then suddenly two of them left. One the eight remaining beings raised Teal'c up in the air. He appeared to be lying on a table, and floating several feet off the ground. The being moved him back towards the Stargate, as another activated it using Earth's address. They wanted the Jaffa off their planet.

"Put him down." O'Neill ordered. 

"We mean you no harm. We're friendly explorers from the planet Earth." Daniel tried. O'Neill shot him a dirty look. 

"Who are you and what do you want? Why did you attack on us?" O'Neill barked; he wasn't feeling too friendly at the moment. These things had just attacked his team, injuring one, and now had him hovering in mid air. 

"Sir, they dialed Earth, he'll die if…" Carter started.

"I know," O'Neill nodded at her. Somehow, he and the rest of SG-1 knew what the beings were doing, and weren't afraid of sending their code to open the Iris. For a second it seemed wrong, and then it just…didn't. Carter was almost panicking to make sure the code went through correctly.

Daniel and O'Neill stood up and walked over to where the being had Teal'c held up in the air. Four of the other beings blocked their path so they could not reach him, or leave through the open wormhole. O'Neill wanted to get Teal'c back so they all could leave. Or, at least, stall long enough for Carter to send the Iris code. But these things insisted on send him back through the Stargate themselves. O'Neill shook his head. Sending the Iris code would save Teal'c, but also put Earth in danger. The thought disappeared from his mind, almost as fast as he thought it. He HAD to save Teal'c. 

"Put him down, let me have him." O'Neill yelled angrily, as Carter maneuvered into position. 

"We'll leave your planet and not return." Daniel declared hoping to get his friend down and off this planet alive.

O'Neill watched, as the cloud-like being holding up Teal'c seemed to vanish, just before he was sent through the gate. He didn't know if it had just changed its appearance or left altogether, using some type of alien technology to keep his friend in the air. The beings didn't make a sound as Teal'c was pushed through the open wormhole. 

When the Stargate shut down the second time, all the strange beings turned their attention to the rest of SG-1. Settling near the ground, they changed their form into an almost humanoid shape. There were only seven of them now O'Neill noticed, and wondered if their weapons would take them out in their current form. 

One of the beings walked up to each team member silently scanning them with some type of hand held device. The instrument was similar to the one Carter used to take radiation readings. Finishing, the being turned to his leader, nodded his head, and stepped back. The leader stepped forward, and O'Neill stepped in front of his team in protective mode meeting the thing's gaze.

"Why did you attack us? We didn't do anything to you. You could have just asked and we would've left." O'Neill started, he didn't like this, and wanted to get his team out of there, and back to Earth. 

"On the contrary Colonel O'Neill, we did not wish you to leave only the Jaffa. Your presence is most welcomed on Tolbena. It has been a long time since we have had humans here. And never any from the ancestral home of the Ancients to conduct test upon; you will make excellent study subjects." As he finished speaking, he hit one of the buttons on a box attached to his belt. He smiled as SG-1 fell unconscious. 

**A few minutes earlier on the planet:**

_"Olran, Meshall, we have visitors," _Mistoff announced_._

_"Then let us attend to our newest study subjects. Which species are we graced with the presences of today, Meshall?"_ Olran asked.

_"Three are humans, I believe from the original world of the Ancients. The fourth is a Jaffa."_ Meshall answered. 

_"I will not allow any Goa'uld to live on this planet, even if it is in the belly of a Jaffa!"_ Olran fumed as they drew near the Stargate; he and two others started throwing lightening bolts.

_"Olran, he has no Goa'uld within him. Do NOT kill him." _Meshall demanded.

_"Are you sure Meshall? Jaffa cannot live without an infant Goa'uld. Those hideous creatures have made sure of it by enslaving them, besides I can smell the stench of Goa'uld."_ Mistoff had wrinkled up his nose, as he queried his sister.

_"Yes, I am positive, what you smell is a bottle of ground-up Goa'uld; he must use it to stay alive. I would like to study him, Olran."_

_"No, I will not allow him to stay. You know what happened the last time we had a Jaffa here, he nearly destroyed our laboratory."_ Olran hated Goa'uld and Jaffa; he threw the lightened bolt that hit Teal'c.

_"I said do not kill him. Return him to the planet from which they came, but I demand that you DO NOT kill him."_

_"Very well, wife. I don't understand why you find him so interesting, or care if he lives. He's only a Jaffa."_ Olran said as he lifted Teal'c up, and took him to the Stargate. At the same time, he made sure that Teal'c would live. Olran did not want to deal with Meshall's anger if the Jaffa died. 

_"He kills Goa'uld's, so he might live. I like that and think you would also. I think he deserves to keep killing Goa'ulds, just as they have killed his kind for eonaeon. Did you hurt him significantly with your strike?"_ Meshall demanded.

_"He shall live. Let's just get him off our planet before his bottle of Goa'uld makes me sick."_ Olran declared. 

_"Olran and Meshall, I have looked into the mind of the one with the thing on his face, he calls it 'glasses'. The Portal on their world is protected with a cover they call an Iris, and if a proper cipher is not transmitted, it will not open. Therefore anyone going through shall die. What's more, if they do not report back, others will come before we are finished with them."_ Raynott reported to his leaders.

_"These humans have come a long way in growth. We cannot permit them to send any one else, there is not enough of the drug for more than two for very long to do a proper assessment of their minds. Olran, husband, what shall we do?"_

_"Pick the ones you wish to keep. Raynott will stay on their plant, not allowing any others to return, until you have finished the study. The leader seems difficult; shall I send him back with this one?" _O'Neill was demanding Teal'c be returned to him.

_"No, I cannot tell which ones would be best to use. I believe there is ample amount to use on all three for a short while, until we know which ones are right. The female has been blended before, she will not require as much of the Macknee. Let us keep all three for now. Then you can send the wrong one back later. It's too bad they arrived so soon after our experimentation on the Furlings. An interesting race, but they took so much of the drug to subdue that our supply is shortened. Otherwise, we could have kept all; exploring the mind of this Jaffa would have been, enjoyable." _ She said as she ran her hand over Teal'c's head. 

_"Very well, Raynott, have the female send the code. Make sure to record it so we can use it later, and then come with me to their world."_ Olran requested. 

_"I am coming with you. Don't give me that look Olran! It will be helpful to see their world, so I can open their minds easier."_

_"Fine, Meshall, let's go. Open up the portal Marknum. The sooner I can get rid of this Jaffa, the better."_

The three Tolbenas, now invisible, went through the Stargate to the SGC. As they came through the gate, Olran sneezed, causing Teal'c to be thrown down the ramp. 

_"I told you that Goa'uld stuff was going to make me sick."_ He said to his wife, Meshall. Then he pressed a button on the box fastened to his belt, allowing his voice to be heard tenfold. 

"NO GOA'ULD OR JAFFA ALLOWED ON OUR PLANET!"

_"This place is interesting, such primitive weapons, they have." _Raynott exclaimed 

_"Explore all you wish Raynott, just make sure they cannot open the portal to our world, until we return."_ Olran decreed. 

_"Olran, he is injured significantly!"_ Meshall said angrily, she was kneeling down by Teal'c.

_"The Jaffa will live, Meshall. Let's go before his stuff makes me start to itch too."_

_"Raynott, make sure he lives so that I may explore his mind later. He is the only Jaffa here, locate where the ones they call rebel Jaffa are housed. And find out what a rebel Jaffa is, I do not understand what he means by this. I am interested in this bottle of Goa'uld he carries, so find out how many others carry it. Also, learn what you can about this System Lord Hammond that rules this place. Why he does not use symbiotes in his Jaffa? Someone will relieve you when we send the incorrect human back."_

_"Yes, my Queen." _Raynott bowed before Meshall. 

Olran opened the Stargate by pushing another button on his belt. Upon returning to Tolbena, he asked Mistoff to tell him about the three humans standing before them. Mistoff walked around each member of SG-1 studying them, and then turned back to his leaders reading the report off his device to them. 

"_Olran and Meshall, you were correct. The female was once a host, but not to a Goa'uld - a Tokra. The leader has knowledge of both the Ancients and the Asgard within him. The other with the thing on his face, glasses, hmm…used to improve faulty sight. He has the knowledge of the Ancients within him, and traveled with them for a very short while. The leader will be the most difficult, the Asgard have marked him with their protection. They have all been touched by the Tolen, Knox, and the Furlings, but interestingly some how, they do not know they have been touched by the Furlings."_

When Olran stepped forward to welcome his newest test subjects, O'Neill stepped in front of his team to protect them. They meet each other's gaze.

"Why did you attack us? We didn't do anything to you. You could have just asked and we would've left." Their leader was angry; Olran knew this one was going to be a problem. He should have taken him back with the Jaffa, he sighed.

"On the contrary Colonel O'Neill, we did not wish you to leave only the Jaffa. Your presence is most welcomed on Tolbena. It has been a long time since we have had humans here. And never any from the ancestral home of the Ancients to conduct test upon; you will make excellent study subjects." Olran stated, then hit one of the multiple buttons on the black box attached to his belt, smiling as SG-1 fell unconscious. 

"Take them to the lab." Olran ordered; he did not want to hear the sting of colorful expletives forming in O'Neill's mind.

**The SGC**

Eighteen hours after Teal'c was returned to the SGC, Dr. Fraiser walked into General Hammond's office. Major Griff was already there, sitting in one of the chairs in front of the General's desk. It was early, about 4:00 AM and all three looked dead tired.

"Doctor Fraiser, how is Teal'c?" Hammond asked. 

"He's still unconscious, but he should be just fine. I've increased his tritonen to stem off any infection. Most of his injuries were caused from hitting the ramp, although he does have a recent burn mark on his chest."

"A burn, what caused that?" Hammond asked, somewhat confused. 

"It looks like an electrical burn, almost as if he was hit by a lightening strike, Sir. There is other damage, caused by whatever did this, but most of the injury was healed before he was returned through the Stargate."

"How's that possible? He wasn't gone for more than 10 minutes?" Hammond asked.  
  
"I don't know, Sir." She replied. 

"Could a sarcophagus have done it?" Griff asked, thinking maybe it was a Goa'uld, who was holding his friends hostage.

"Normally, Major, a sarcophagus completely heals any injuries. These are still present, although they're not as serious as when first inflicted."

"Well, he was gone for less than ten minutes, so maybe O'Neill got him out of one, and sent him back through the gate. Before it could mess up his mind like the last time Apophis put him in one."

"I don't know." Dr. Fraiser was shaking her head at the Major.

"I seriously doubt that Colonel O'Neill would have sent him through the Stargate with that much force. If the rest of SG-1 were at the Stargate, why didn't they come through with him, Major?" Hammond questioned. 

"I don't know, Sir. I guess I'm just grasping at straws. But someone sent the Iris code, and that had to be someone on SG-1. At least I hope it was." Major Griff was as baffled over the incident as everyone else.

"There's something else, Sir," Fraiser said hesitantly.

"Yes, doctor?"

"This is going to sound silly. I keep getting the feeling that I'm being watched. But there's never anyone there, Sir."

"You're not the first one to feel that way, doctor, I've felt it too. I'll have guards posted in the infirmary. Just in case, something else came through with Teal'c. Major would you take a team and do a sweep of the base with the TERs?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, Sir, I'll start in the infirmary." Griff was relieved to be able to do something constructive, this waiting was killing him. His friends were out there on a world they could no longer access.

"Sir, are you thinking we have a Reetou?" Fraiser asked. 

"I don't know, doctor, I just don't know. Keep me informed on Teal'c's condition. I want to talk to him as soon as he is conscious."

"Yes, Sir, I will." Fraiser and Griff both left Hammond's office.

**The Planet Laboratory **

SG-1 woke up to a white holding cell about 20' x 18', with benches attached to the walls. On one wall, the benches were about three and a half feet wide for sleeping, and smaller ones on the other wall. The sleeping benches warmed to a comfortable temperature when used, but the others didn't. A spigot was situated on one end wall, which when their hand was held under it dispensed drinking water. A basket filled with fruits and some type of bread, sat on the edge of the shorter bench close to the water spigot, along with some cups. The floor was a solid material similar to the walls. But the ceiling was one piece of a different material, allowing light to enter the cell. 

O'Neill had scrutinized every inch of the cell trying to find a way out he failed. No apparent doors were visible, although, he knew one had to be hidden here somewhere. Surprisingly their backpacks and stuff, including their GDOs, were piled on the shorter bench. Anything that might be used as a weapon had been removed. 

First O'Neill had awakened followed by Daniel a few minutes later. They were unaware of the person in the cell with them watching, observing, and taking notes as they attempted to wake up Carter.

"Carter, wake up. CARTER, come on, wake up."

"Sam, Sam, can you hear us?"

"CARTER, WAKE UP." O'Neill was gently slapping her face, trying to arouse his second in command. He was seated next to her head.

"Jack, does your head hurt?" Daniel asked, as he sat back on the floor rubbing his temples.

"Yah some, yours?"

"Yes, what I wouldn't give for an aspirin, the size of a horse." O'Neill looked at him, wondering if he looked as pale as Daniel and Carter did. 

"Check the medical kit. They've left them in the packs. Why don't you get some rest, she's not coming around for a while." O'Neill said, concerned about Carter. They had been awake for over an hour, but still couldn't revive her. 

_"Eat some food, it will help." _Meshall whispered. Neither man could hear it aloud; it came across like a suggestion.

"I will, but I think I'll get something to eat first, maybe it'll help. Jack, what do you think they meant by 'test' and us being 'test subjects'?" He was picking out some fruit.

"Toss me one of those will ya?" O'Neill thought that maybe he should try to eat; it had been hours since breakfast. Daniel tossed him a piece of fruit and some bread. "I don't know, but I don't intend of being part of any experiment. We're not lab rats. What do you think they did to Carter? We've been awake for over an hour, and she hasn't even stirred."

"You don't think they did something to her, while we were unconscious, do you?" Daniel began to get alarmed that possibility had not occurred to him. 

"I don't know…her breathings shallow, but I don't see any marks or anything." O'Neill shuttered, that wasn't a pleasant thought. "If they've hurt her, I'll make 'em pay that's for sure."

_"Some protective statements are coming from the leader; they seem more than that of just a leader, friends perhaps."_ Meshall stated into her dictation equipment.

"Do you know what that was they used on us?" Daniel asked.

"Some type of stun thingy, felt like a Zat, I thought." 

"Carter, wake up. Come on, Carter, wake up." 

Her eyes opened, and she blinked several times before they stayed open. Daniel bounded up off his seat, and he was kneeling beside her as she came too. 

"Hi, how are you feeling, Sam?" Daniel asked with concern. 

"Headache, bad headache, what happened?" She replied. 

"They hit us with some type of stun weapon; you've been out for hours." O'Neill replied with obvious relief in his voice now that she was awake. 

"Whoa," she moaned as she tried to sit up but the room spun.

"Slowly Major, it takes a few minutes to wear off, just give it some time. Daniel, why don't you get her some water?" 

_"Must lower the dosage of the Macknee, after test two the female subject is just waking at 2.5 hours. Male subject one woke in .75 hours, while male subject two woke in 1.05 hours. With next intervention will only use minimal dose."_ Meshall dictated, but SG-1 could not hear her. 

Daniel took one of the cups and partially filled it then helped Sam sit up to drink it. "The headache goes away once you eat something, Sam."

"Mmmm…maybe in a little while, thank you."

"Take your time Major, there's no hurry." Jack stated. 

"Where are we?" She asked. 

"Some type of holding cell, as near as I can tell. No apparent doors or way out, I've been over every inch of this place." O'Neill tossed the core from the fruit he had just finished across the room in disgust.

"How long was I out?" Sam was sitting up completely now.

"We don't know. We've been awake for over an hour; Jack woke up first. They took our watches."

"But they left our backpacks? That doesn't make sense." Carter looked around and saw the backpacks.

"None of this makes sense Carter; they took everything out that could be used as a weapon." O'Neill looked her in the eye, indicating that something had been left in their packs that might be useful for a weapon. Meshall did not understand the look he gave, but Carter and Daniel did.

"Daniel, what did they mean by humans from the Ancient's ancestral home?" Carter asked, as she got up stretching, and walked over to her backpack to see what might be useful as a weapon. She spotted it under the medical kit. Good thinking, Colonel it just might come in handy, she thought to herself. Then she took out a power bar and started eating it.

"I don't know, maybe the Ancients came from Earth originally. We know they have close ties to it still." Daniel stated. 

"You don't remember anything about that from when you were ascended?" Carter asked. 

"Nope, nothing, most of those memories are still gone. Not that I expect to ever get them back." Daniel had completely regained his memory from before he ascended, but only bits and pieces for during his time with the Ancients. 

Suddenly they heard the sliding of a door, and Meshall and Olran appeared in front of them leaving the door open.

"I see you're all awake now." Olran started. "I am your host Olran, and this is my wife, Meshall. We will begin again. Who shall be first?"

"No one's going to be first, we're leaving." O'Neill stood, walking over in front of his captor, while Carter moved back towards Daniel waiting for the Colonel's signal to run.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that Colonel O'Neill," he snapped his fingers and two guards stood in the doorway. "You see, you're our honored guests here, and here you shall remain until we're finished."

"Guests? You called us test subjects before." O'Neill retorted, anger showed in his eyes. 

"Oh Colonel, you are so predictable." Olran glanced at Meshall.

"What do you want with us?" O'Neill's patience had run out. "And what do you mean start again?"

"Patience is a virtue, Colonel." Meshall started.

"Not his," Daniel mumbled. O'Neill shot him a glare.

"But perhaps it is yours Daniel?" Meshall continued.

"Umm…nope, I'm all out of patience, too." Daniel wasn't going to play this game either.

"Colonel O'Neill, you are the leader correct?" Meshall asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" O'Neill answered uneasily. He was checking out the black boxes on their belts, wondering what they did, and if he could get his hands on one.

"Good, then I would like you to tell me about this System Lord Hammond that rules your planet." Meshall asked him.

"System Lord Hammond?" O'Neill glanced at the others. If their captors thought Hammond was a system lord, maybe they could use it to their advantage. "What do you want to know? He's like every other system lord, I guess." 

The words almost choked coming out of his mouth. If it were not for her military training, Carter would have laughed. Instead, her face remained blank, and Daniel did the same. 

"In some respect's he's not. Why does he not use symbiotes in his Jaffa? Instead he uses a derivative of Goa'uld." Meshall asked. 

"Because he's mean." It was the only thing that came to O'Neill's mind.

"Vicious is more like it." Daniel interjected.

"Where does he get the Goa'uld to use in the substance?" Meshall questioned.

"From enemies fallen in battle." Carter interposed.

"Yeah, he cuts them out of beaten enemies himself, and then grounds them up, so the stuff can be made. Which is exactly, what he's going to do to you if you don't let us go," O'Neill exclaimed to his captors.

Daniel was having a hard time keeping a straight face. He couldn't image Hammond ever doing anything like that. 

"I seriously doubt it, you see, we are not Goa'uld." Meshall responded calmly.

"It's not just Goa'uld in that stuff; he'll use any enemy." O'Neill had no other cards to play at this point.

"But we are not your enemy, Colonel." Olran spoke up. "In fact, we are your allies."

"Come again? You've got us locked up in here, and you want to perform some type of experiments on us. In my book that doesn't add up to allies, more like enemies. How do you see us as 'allies'?"

"All in due time Colonel." Olran explained. _"Meshall, shall we begin?"_

_"Yes, they are ready."_ She responded back to her husband telepathically.

"Yah, whatever, look what's it going to take for you to let us out of here?"

"You wish to leave Colonel?" Olran asked. 

"Yes, I would." O'Neill's anger was apparent to everyone in the room, and to those watching in the observation room behind them. 

"Very well," Olran touched a button on his belt and suddenly a bright light appeared, and the team found themselves elsewhere. 

O'Neill looked around holding tightly to his P-90, thinking that was too easy. 

"What the…? Carter are we…?"

"Yes, Sir, I think so."

"How?" He asked. 

"I don't know, Sir." She responded. 

"Aren't these Tok'ra tunnels?" Daniel asked. 

"Yes, they are." Carter replied. 

"I didn't think the Tok'ra were on the planet we gated too." Daniel stated.

"They're not, at least, as far as I know." Carter answered. 

"Well, I don't know how we got here, but let's see if we can get home from here." O'Neill stated and the team started moving forward.

O'Neill came around the corner first; it had been eerily quiet for a Tok'ra base. He couldn't quite get his head around how they'd gotten here, although that white light had been similar to an Asgard transportation device. He only hoped that he could get the rest of his team home and check on Teal'c. Then Jack stopped dead in his tracks, moving his gun to a defensive position.

"Hold up." O'Neill said taking a step forward, but keeping himself as protected with the tunnel wall as possible.

"Colonel, what is it?" Carter questioned, fear rising in her mind, although not in her voice. 

O'Neill made a hand movement that told her to hold her position quietly. He moved forward out of sight. Raising her own gun to match his position, she watched their backs, until he came back around the corner.

"Uh, Carter," he started, "there's been some trouble here."

"What!" She demanded to know. Daniel closed his eyes, shaking his head; he could smell the 'trouble'. 

"They're dead…" O'Neill started to say, but his 2IC ran around him to see the main chamber herself. 

She gulped as she took in the horrid scene. Dead Tok'ra and Jaffa lay scattered around the rooms and tunnel entrances. A battle had obviously been waged here, and it looked like no survivors.

"Carter, we don't even know if your fa…"

"I know, Sir." She responded tightly and controlled. 

"Sam," Daniel said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Jacob may not have even been on this base. Let alone here, wherever here is, when this happened."

Sam just looked at him. Daniel had a way of stating the obvious, but missing the point. As she looked from one dead Tok'ra to the next flashes of Jolinar's memories went through her head. A lifetime lived with each and every one of these people, she knew them all, not Sam, but Jolinar. She shook her head to pull herself out of those memories. Why were they coming up now? She hadn't had them in a long time, it had to be because of what lay before them, she decided.

"We need to make an assessment, and find out if anyone's still home or around. Watch yourselves; there could still be Jaffa here." O'Neill said as he took lead moving from tunnel to tunnel looking for hostiles. After searching the few remaining tunnels and finding no more Jaffa, they went about the task of counting bodies, and looking for survivors. 

"So, what's the count so far?" He said sitting down next to Carter as she was tallying the numbers.

"118 Tok'ra and 26 Jaffa, so far, Sir." The look in her eyes told him how hard this was for her.

"I'm sorry, Sam. For what it's worth, I really don't think Jacob was here." She nodded her head in agreement at him, trying to blink away the tears that kept trying to form in her eyes. 

"I don't think he was either. This isn't the group that he would normally hang out with; I just wish…" She started, but stopped before her voice broke. "I just wish; I knew what happened here."

"Carter, it's kind of apparent what happen." O'Neill stopped as she glared at him. "Yeah, I get it. Who, where, and how? I'd kinda like to know those things myself."

"Sam, Jack, come here!" Daniel yelled from the next room over. They both ran to the other room with their guns ready for anything.

"Help me, he's alive." Daniel declared as he held pressure down on a wounded Tok'ra. They raced over to offer the support they could. O'Neill and Daniel applied field bandages, as Carter tried to talk to the fallen man.

"What happened here, Luka?" Carter asked. 

"We…were…attacked…" Luka stated, with great difficulty.

"By whom?" She asked.

"The System Lords…it's not…safe…you…must…leave me…leave now."

"Was my father here?"

"No, Selmak…hasn't been…here…in…months." He said as he fell back, unconsciousness. A look of relief played across Carter's face, her dad wasn't in this…this massacre. 

"I'm glad Carter." O'Neill stated as he gave her arm a squeeze. 

"Me too, Sam." Daniel said. 

"Yeah, me too." She said totally unaware of the dying Jaffa behind her, or the movement inside of him.

"Carter, can you get those rings to work?" O'Neill asked. 

"Yes, Sir, but we don't know if anyone's on the surface."

"I know; that's why I'm going up first." He replied, as he and Daniel stood up. "Daniel, you stay here with him. If I'm not back in 10 minutes; then you two will have to figure something else out."

"Sir…" Carter started, but wrenched her back and neck in pain as she screamed. A symbiote bore itself into the back of her neck. It had jumped out of the dying Jaffa behind her to find a host. 

Daniel stood shocked, mouth open, eyes wide, while the symbiote took a host for the first time. O'Neill lunged forward trying to stop the attack, but couldn't. He caught her as she fell backwards, and watched in horror as the Goa'uld flashed her eyes. The flash was gone as fast as it came, then Sam started yelling.

"Get it out of me! Get it out of me!!"

"Carter?" O'Neill said hesitantly.

"Yes, Sir. Get it out of me, please." 

"Sam, hold on." Daniel encouraged as he knelt down beside them.

Her eyes flashed again, and O'Neill dropped her to the floor pointing his gun at her.

"I am Morock. You shall serve me."

"I don't think so. Daniel, back up." O'Neill ordered still holding his gun on his 2IC. "You're going to come out of her, one way or another."

"I have taken this host, she belongs to me now. Bow before your god." Morock demanded, with a glare that could only be Carters'. 

"That's not going to happen." Not taking his eyes off of her, O'Neill continued. "Daniel, find something to tie her up with, something strong. Do you think you can run that de-Goa'ulding machine thingy the Tok'ra have?" 

"No, Jack, I can't run the machine. But Sam could."

"Well, that's a problem right now, Daniel. She's not exactly herself." 

"I'm here, Sir. I can talk Daniel through it." Sam said trying to set up, and shaking her head.

"What?" O'Neill was confused as he moved his gun to follow her movements.

"It's not mature enough to completely take me over, yet. I'm still here. If the machine is here, I think I can talk you through the process."

"Welcome back, Major."

"Thank you, Sir." She said rubbing the back of her neck. "That hurts."

"Yeah, I know it does. Are you…going to be all right?"

"If we can get this thing out of me. I'm not going to live my life as a host." She declared handing her P-90 over to him. "You better take this, Sir. I don't want to take the chance of it getting control again, and hurting either of you."

"Err, guys, we have a little problem here."

"Really, Daniel?" Jack answered sarcastically, securing her weapon to himself. 

"I don't remember seeing any equipment in the remaining tunnels do you?" Daniel asked.

"Carter?" Jack inquired.

"My host can not help you now. She is under my control." Morock shouted as she dove onto the Colonel. He fought her off restraining her hands behind her back.

"Daniel, find something to tie her up with NOW!" Jack yelled struggling to control Sam/Morock. Daniel ran frantically around trying to find something but could not.

"It's alright, Sir, I'm back. This is so weird." Sam started crying. Jack didn't release his grip on her, not truly sure who was in control. He had never seen Sam cry before, well except, when Daniel died. 

"Sam, is that you?" Daniel inquired.

"Yes, Daniel it's me. The Colonel's right, you're going to have to restrain me. I can't keep control. If the machine is still here, it's in a room off to the right down that tunnel. It has a hidden access panel. In case of an attack, its kept sealed off from the rest of the compound. Now listen to me, this is what you're going to have to do…" O'Neill relaxed his grip some, but not completely. He was desperately trying to figure out a way to restrain her, without him controlling her. 

They walked down the tunnel and found the room. O'Neill lessened his grip as Sam had more control. The Goa'uld seemed to tire easily each time it asserted itself. Coming to the hidden room, Sam indicated to Daniel where to press on the tunnel wall. A door slid open revealing the machine they were looking for when suddenly Morock took over. She broke loose from the Colonel, and ran into the room crashing into the machine, knocking it over breaking it. O'Neill fired above her head then Goa'uld turned glaring back at him.

"That was NOT a nice thing to do. You're going to sit down and do as you're told." O'Neill exclaimed angrily to the parasite inside Carter. 

This time Morock was in control for nearly 30 minutes before Carter found her way back out. She was sitting in a corner, attempting to tell Daniel how to fix the machine. O'Neill stood watch over her covering her with his gun. He turned to help Daniel for a second, as he heard the sound that broke his heart. Turning back around, Carter was lying in the corner bleeding severely from the neck. A 9mm lay near her hand; she seemed to be murmuring something as Daniel and Jack ran to her side.

"Sam why?" Daniel asked as Jack tried to stop the bleeding. Her eyes telling the story, Jack held her close, as her life slipped away.

Sam was loosing the battle with the Goa'uld. She felt this was the last time she would have control of her body. Not wanting to live as a host, she remembered her pistol and took it out when Jack looked at Daniel. How had they missed the gun? And how it stayed tucked away during their struggle? She didn't know or care. She was just grateful for one last chance to control her future. There was no way they could fix the machine, and she felt herself being pulled away. With her remaining strength, she pulled her gun, and shot herself in the back of the neck. She made sure to hit the symbiote so it would die, and not revive her. Sam exercised the little control she had left, how she would die. 

"Where did that gun come from?" Jack demanded.

"I don't know." Daniel stated solemnly. "Sam why? We could've saved you. We could have gotten it out!"

"Could you have actually fixed that machine, Daniel?" Jack asked somberly.

"With her help, maybe. Even if I couldn't, what about the other Tok'ra? They have more machines, or at very least, they could have fixed this one!" Daniel exclaimed with tears in his eyes.

"Daniel, she was loosing the battle. She exercised what little control she had left, how she was going to die." Jack said, not taking his eyes off of Sam. His hands were covered in her blood. And his mind tried to accept that he would never see her smile again.

"Even still, we could've saved her!"

"No, Daniel, we couldn't. You know as well as I do, that after an attack, the Tok'ra are going to be out of communication for months. What would happen in the mean time? The NID would've gotten a hold of her THAT'S what. I couldn't put Carter through that – could you?" He demanded.

"Jack, this is Sam, we're talking about."

"I know it is. Damn it Daniel, I'm holding her dead body. Do you think I wanted this to happen? At least when you died, you ascended. I knew I would be seeing you again. Now…" Jack's voice trailed off; his mind reeling from the day's events. 

"Jack, we could find a sarcophagus." Daniel started on a tirade.

"Where would we get our hands on one of those?"

"I don't know, Jack, but we've got to do something!" He pleaded.

"No, Daniel, this was her choice. I'm not going to take it away from her. Besides, we wouldn't get her back; we'd get that Marrock back."

"Morock, yeah, I guess your right." Daniel conceded. "Maybe if we took the Goa'uld out first, and then put her in one."

"Daniel, NO! What's done is done." Jack exclaimed. He didn't realize how close he was holding her body to his until he looked down.

Sorry, pain, hurt, and fear all clouded his mind. How could this happen to her of all people? Why had it not been him? He had failed Sam. He wasn't sure he had the will to go on, but he had to get them back home, including her body. Her body, he thought, how was he going to explain this to Jacob or the General? He didn't know. Jack was lost in his thoughts when he heard Daniel calling him.

"Jack. Jack!"

"What Daniel?" He said, with no emotion in his voice. 

"The Asgard."

"What about the Asgard?" 

"They can bring her back AND take out the Goa'uld." Daniel exclaimed with as much passion as Jack had ever heard. A glimmer of hope filled his soul. Suddenly a white light encompassed them.

**The SGC**

"Dixon, let's check down here." Colonel Dixon followed Major Griff down the corridor. "We're missing something Dixon." Griff said. "I don't know what." 

"I got the same feeling." Dixon answered, as he turned around quickly moving his TER around the ceiling. The movement caused Raynott to move as fast as he could not to get caught with the beam. He could read their minds, but was still having trouble staying out of the TER beam. It would show him.

"Colonel Dixon?" Hammond's voice came across the radio.

"Dixon here. We still haven't found anything, Sir." Dixon replied.

"How much of the base have you checked?" Hammond asked. 

"This will complete our second pass, Sir."

"Very well, all teams stand down." Hammond ordered.

"Sir, we're missing something, I can feel it." Griff stated. 

"Major, you're probably right, but right now we need to consider other options. Stand down."

"Yes, Sir." Griff replied. 

--------------

Hammond's office

"Sir, the only thing I can guarantee is that we don't have any Reetou." Dixon explained to the General.

"I see." Hammond replied.

"Have you had any luck with the Stargate, Sir?" Griff asked.

"No, son, not yet. Don't worry, when we do both of you will get to take your teams through."

"Thank you, Sir." Griff and Dixon answered together.

"Everyone's been up for a long time. I want you both to get some rest. As soon as we know anything, I'll let you know." Hammond ordered. Both Dixon and Griff left his office. They were tired, but too keyed up to sleep.

**The Planet Laboratory**

Jack sat up. He was back in the cell with the white walls, and his head hurt so much. Slowly, he looked around, and then he saw Sam lying on the bench close to him. Getting up and going to her side, he realized there was no blood, no hole torn through her. Even as he watched her breathing, he felt for a pulse, relief overwhelmed him when he found it.

"Carter," he called. She didn't move. "Carter," he said louder watching her wake-up.

"Oh, my gosh, what happen?" Then she remembered, and felt the back of her neck. There was nothing there, no entry mark.

"Are you alone in there?" He asked with trepidation. 

"Yes, how?" She replied her eyes pleading with him for an answer.

"I don't know, but we're back here." He answered looking at the back of her neck to make sure for himself.

"Sam!" Daniel cried out as he sat up.

"She's alright, Daniel." Jack stated.

"How?" 

"I don't know, but look were we are." O'Neill fumed.

"Sir, what if we never left." Carter stated looking at him and Daniel. The door slid open and Olran appeared.

"You're awake again, good. Did you have a nice trip Colonel?" 

"No, we didn't have a nice trip! What the hell was that? Are the Tok'ra all right? Did Carter really become a Goa'uld?"

"Patience, my dear Colonel, patience, all in due time." Olran stated. "_Meshall, are they ready for another?"_

_"No, they need to eat and regain strength for a while."_ Meshall responded to her husband, but SG-1 could not hear their conversation.

_"Very, well, would you like me to have Mistoff relieve your of observation duty?"_

_"Not, yet, maybe next time." _Meshall responded.

"Colonel, I have been informed you need to rest and eat. So I will leave you for now. Is there anything you need before I leave?" Olran inquired with an even voice. 

"Yes, how about some answers and let us GO!" Jack shouted.

"Very, well, I will see you shortly." Olran bowed as he left.

"I can't believe he just walked out on you like that." Daniel stated.

"They're not a very friendly bunch are they?" Jack asked. "Major, any ideas?"

"No, Sir, well, except that I am hungry." Carter stated as she went to the food bowl and picked something out. "Too bad they don't have Jell-o." 

O'Neill just shook his head at her; he didn't like this place. He didn't like those beings, and he sure as heck didn't like being held captive.

"You should ask them for Jell-o." Daniel smiled. They both looked at him. "Well, they said to ask if we wanted something."

"Do you really think, they would know what Jell-o is Daniel?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, maybe."

"What are they Daniel? They're sure not human." Jack wanted to know. 

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like them before."

"Whatever they are, I don't like them." Jack groused as he and Daniel ate with Sam. The team ate and rested, and then after a while Olran returned.

"Colonel, tell me more about your System Lord Hammond." Olran requested.

"What do you want to know about him?" O'Neill inquired. He didn't know what to think about 'System Lord Hammond', but maybe they could still use it to their advantage.

"Why does he not use symbiotes in his Jaffa?"

"We've already been through this. I'll tell you what, let us go, and I'll introduce him to you. Then you can ask him yourself." O'Neill retorted irately.

"You wish to leave, Colonel?" Olran asked patiently.

"YES!" O'Neill bellowed. Olran touched a button on his belt, and a white light engulfed them.

-------------------

Suddenly O'Neill found himself on the wet ground hidden behind some trees as he watching the Jaffa interrogated Carter and Daniel. He looked around, wasn't he just somewhere else? In some type of a laboratory with white walls? He shook his head as those thoughts disappeared from his mind. 

Jack knew they couldn't trust Tok'ra Intel, so why did he agree to let Daniel come look at these ruins? Observing the scene through his scope, he so easily could easily take out the Jaffa that was hitting Carter across the face. But he was worried about the other 11 staff weapons pointed at his team. A few dead Jaffa lay in the clearing, obviously Carter and Daniel had given Ba'al's Jaffa a fight before they were captured. Jack wasn't sure how Daniel had become hurt, but it must have been during the firefight. When he left to check out the area, Daniel had been fine. 

There were just too many for him to take out at once. Besides, he knew they had a 2-3 day walk ahead of them. Especially with the way, Daniel was limping. Danny could get hurt walking across the Gateroom, he thought wryly. On the brightside, this would slow them up enough for him to take out a few Jaffa along the way. He didn't wish any pain on Daniel, but this would be the only opportunity he would have to rescue them. If the Jaffa were able to take his team through the Stargate, a rescue would become much more difficult, if not impossible.

O'Neill knew were they were and that they would be going back to the Stargate. How? He wasn't completely sure. It never occurred to him that he could have gated back through the Stargate and made an escape. Never. He wouldn't leave anyone behind, especially his team. He had been out surveying the area when Ba'al's Jaffa attacked. With any luck, they still didn't know he was there. 

Knowing the layout of the land, O'Neill moved ahead of the group as they took the path back to the Stargate. As dusk approached, he laid out a few surprises for the Jaffa, things Carter and Daniel would be expecting. When the group stopped and made camp for the night, he went into action. 

Only two Jaffa started a patrolled the camp perimeter. Jack took them out with ease. Good, now there were only ten and that was better odds, he laughed to himself. Then three other Jaffa went out searching for the first two. Unfortunately, only one separated off from the group, he was easy enough to take out, but the other two were a bit more of a challenge. 

Jack lured them into a trap, but as he was taking out one Jaffa, the other appeared in the clearing. His staff weapon poised at Jack, he ordered him to Kree. Jack spun around the Jaffa he had in his grip around, just in time for his friend to fire a staff blast into the Jaffa instead of Jack. Then, he took out the stunned Jaffa with a well-aimed throw of his knife. 

You're getting to old for this O'Neill, he muttered, as he ran through the jungle with four more Jaffa on his ass. Thus far, he had managed to eliminate five of the Jaffa, but the staff blast of the last one had alerted the others to his presence. Moving quietly he made his way back into the jungle underbrush, suddenly, finding himself face-to-face with another Jaffa. But before he could fire, the man attacked him and they were rolling around on the ground in desperate hand-to-hand combat. Blows were exchanged as each man attempted to get the upper hand. Finally, Jack was able to maneuver the other man into the right position to break his neck. Unfortunately, for Jack the Jaffa managed to stab him in the leg before dying.

Jack watched from the underbrush as one of his traps took out another Jaffa, on the way back to the cave he had found earlier. Slipping inside just as the rain started, he made sure the entrance was covered with foliage so no one could sneak up on him. 

Damn, he mumbled, as he saw the blood gushing out of his leg soaking his pants. The bandage he had hastily applied was now soaked. Taking his medical kit out of his backpack, he carefully sewed up his leg and gave himself a shot of antibiotics. Then leaning back on the cave's damp wall, he wished he could start a fire. But there was no way with that many Jaffa still out there; they'd find him before he was ready for them too. Planning his next move, he closed his eyes and slept.

Jack didn't know how long he had been asleep, when he woke to the sound of movement. Holding his P-90 close, he watched and waited until he saw what awoke him. A rabbit was nibbling at the foliage on the front of the cave. He smiled, cute thing he thought; it would have tasted good too if he'd had a fire. Instead he ate an MRE and went back to sleep pulling his blanket closer around him. The suns wouldn't be up for a few more hours, and Jack's leg wasn't up to running through the rainy nighttime Jungle. He would sleep for a while longer and then rescue his team.

The first sun was just starting to come up as Jack watched the Jaffa camp from the ridgeline. Carter and Daniel were warming themselves as best they could at the fire. Looking at the camp, he wondered if they had been given any cover during the rainstorm, but he doubted it. Four of the five remaining Jaffa were in a state of Kel'no'reem, now was the time to make his move. This was going to be tricky; he was down to his last half clip. He had to make every shot counted. 

Observing each of the Jaffa through his scope, Jack looked for the leader. Moving his scope over Carter, he noted that she looked directly at him and nodded. Knowing he was out there and what he was about to do, she moved closer to Daniel to wait. Gosh, his 2IC was good; she could feel him looking at her through the scope. Gotta be more careful in the briefing room O'Neill, he admonished himself. The no frat rules are there for a good reason Jack, he reminded himself, as he caught the Jaffa leader in his scope. 

As he took the Jaffa leader down, Carter and Daniel hit the ground close to each other and the fire, exactly where Jack wanted them. The Jaffa scrambled to get their staff weapons, but he took each one out before they could. Finally, his team was safe. 

O'Neill gingerly climbed down the ridge taking care not to reopen the wound in his leg and freed them. Carter used the last of his medical kit to wrap Daniel's ankle. Just as they were leaving the clearing, the Jaffa leader, barely alive, pointed his staff weapon at O'Neill. The last thing Jack saw and felt was a white staff blast hitting him in the chest. 

**The SGC Infirmary**

"I don't know when he's going to wake up, Sir. That's up to Teal'c." Fraiser explained to Hammond.

"I see, doctor. Have you had anymore uneasy feelings in here?" Hammond questioned her.

"Yes, Sir, but not all the time just occasionally. And there's something else."

"What is it, doctor?"

"Teal'c's injuries are being healed."

"Isn't that what the tritonen is supposed to do?"

"Yes, Sir, but not like this."

"What do you mean?" Hammond looked confused.

"It's almost as if someone, or something, comes in here, and heals a part of him then leaves. Three bones are already completely healed. Sir, even with a symbiote that wouldn't be possible." Fraiser explained. 

"How's that happening doctor?"

"I don't know, Sir." After a long thoughtful pause she continued. "What did the sweep of the base show, Sir?"

"Colonel Dixon said that we don't have any Reetou. That's all he could guarantee."

"What are we going to do?"

"I have already locked down the base. Whatever is here is not getting out." Hammond replied.

"What about SG-1?"

"We've still had no contact with them. We can't establish a wormhole to the planet, but we'll keep trying. That I promise you."

"Yes, Sir." Fraiser mumbled as the General walked out of the infirmary. 

Raynott watched from his position on the ceiling. He wished he had Meshall's gift for comforting humans. Both the doctor and the General needed it. Their minds were easy to read, but he was unsure how to comfort them. Raynott would not let Teal'c die or suffer, that's why he kept him unconscious as he healed his injuries. Meshall was correct; the Jaffa had been seriously injured when he landed on the ramp. Fortunately, it was not beyond Raynott's ability to heal him. His Queen had decreed this Jaffa was to live, and Raynott would do everything in his power to make sure he did.

Raynott followed Hammond through the halls of the SGC until they came to the empty dining hall. Hammond filled a coffee cup as he glanced at the Jell-o on the desert rack. Two containers struck a pain in his heart; a red and blue Jell-o sat alone at the back of the rack. Hammond couldn't remember how many times he'd seen SG-1 in here, on a coffee break or mealtime eating Jell-o. O'Neill ate the red and Carter the blue. Hammond had heard them many times, trying to convince the other one that their favorite was the best. He took his coffee and headed back to his office, it had been a long day and a half, and Hammond was worried about his flagship team.

Hammond didn't know if whatever had come through the gate with Teal'c could still get out of the mountain, with it locked down, but he had to keep whatever had come through the gate here and quarantined. He agreed with Griff, something was in here even if they couldn't see it. Hammond could feel when Raynott was around, and he knew something was healing Teal'c. That gave him hope that the rest of SG-1 would be all right, when they could finally reach them. 

Raynott watched as Hammond left the dining hall; he wasn't concerned about the base being locked down. There was nothing here, which could lock him in, or caused him concern. Well except, the TER stream, it would expose him but not harm him. He was hungry so he shifted forms so he could eat, and then took some fruit and the item Hammond had been thinking at on the desert rack. Interesting food item, Raynott thought, he'd have to tell Meshall about this. Finishing his meal, he changed forms again then left the dinning hall to find the rest of the answers to Meshall's questions.

**The Planet Laboratory**

Sam and Daniel sat up at the same time.

"Whoa, what was that?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know." Sam replied, shaking her head. "Maybe it's those test they were talking about."

"Jack!" Daniel said as he ran to his friend's side.

"Sir," Carter knelt beside him. "Daniel, I've never seen him so pale before." 

_"He shall be fine. He needs to rest in order to regain his strength. This last test took much out of him. "_ Meshall whispered to them. Her words could not be heard aloud, but it came across as a comforting statement. 

"I think he'll be fine Sam. Let's just let him rest. You don't look so good yourself." Daniel replied.

"You look paler then the last time we woke up too. What's happening to us? " Sam took a seat across from the Colonel. She wanted watch him, and talk to Daniel at the same time.

"Good question and what are these tests? What are they trying to find out?" Daniel asked.

"I have no idea. Are we dreaming, or are they controlling our thoughts? I mean, the first time I thought I'd really become a Goa'uld!"

"We'd thought we'd really lost you. What are they doing to us?" Daniel questioned walking around the room with his hands in the air. "Sam, when they first came in there was two of them, Olran and Meshall. They said something about beginning again, what did they mean by that?"

"I've been wondering the same thing myself. As far as I can tell, our first 'test' was in the Tok'ra tunnels. I hope Tok'ra really all right, and it was just some dream or something."

"I'm sure the Tok'ra are fine, Sam. I don't think any of this is real, no matter how real it seems."

"I hope so Daniel, I really hope so." Sam replied. "Daniel, do you have any idea what they are? Their form is sort of humanoid, only because they have two arms and legs, and a head, but beyond that, I have no idea what they are."

"I've been going though every Earth mythology I can think of, and nothing comes to mind that might even resemble them. I'm not sure they've ever been to Earth before, so I don't have any reference for them. What about their skin, what do you think that is?"

"I'm not sure if it's skin or scales actually. I know a few geneticists who would love to find out." Sam stated. 

"Some how, I don't think they're ever going to get the chance. Do you think they're going to let us go, when they're finished with us?"

"I hope so." Sam shuddered. "What about Nem? Could they be part of his race?" 

"No, Nem was blue, and I don't even know what to call the color of their skin. Besides, the technology I've seen is different. Even this room is different from the one Nem kept me in."

"I wonder what their true form is." Sam started. "The gray cloud like beings, we first encountered, or this, whatever this is."

"I don't know, maybe their shape shifters, and can take several forms."

"I would like to know what those black boxes do; besides stun us. It feels like a Zat gun every time Olran pushes the button. The Colonel is itching to get his hands on one."

"Yeah, but we don't even know if we could operate it if we could get one away from them. Or what might happen if Jack started pushing buttons."

"That's a scary thought. How do you think they held Teal'c up in the air like that?" 

"Sam, you're the scientist, I have no idea." 

"It defies the laws of gravity, at the very least." She replied with earnest.

"Must be some type of technology, like a magic carpet or something," Daniel stated. 

"A magic carpet? Are you okay Daniel? That's something the Colonel would say."

"Guess I've been hanging out with him too much." Daniel gave her a smile of chagrin. 

"I'll say. Magic carpet…" She laughed. "It must be some type of technology, but I've never before seen or heard of anything that could do something like that."

"There's so much stuff out here, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface yet." Daniel admitted. 

"That's for sure. A least they have decent food for us to eat. Not like the Asgard food." 

"Are you hungry again?"

"Not really, more bored, and kind of tired."

"The least they could do is give us coffee." Daniel declared.

"Yeah, you ask Olran for coffee and Jell-o, Daniel." Sam said smiling. 

"Sure," he yawned, "Maybe later."

_"Rest, Sam. Rest, Daniel. You both need to sleep now, rest."_ Meshall said and both Sam and Daniel lay back down, falling into a peaceful sleep.

_"Meshall, do you wish to be relieved now?" _Olran asked through the intercom.__

_"Yes, please send Mistoff in, I need some time to rest myself." _Meshall answered.The door opened and Mistoff entered the laboratory. 

_"Mistoff, I want them to rest and to rest only. Do not send them anywhere while I am gone. Do you understand?"_ Meshall asked her brother.

_"Yes, Meshall, I understand completely." _Mistoff answered bowing his head slightly. 

_"Good, then I shall leave you. If they awaken, make sure they eat." _Meshall said as she left the laboratory.

Mistoff had other ideas. There was something in Daniel's mind, which he had kept from Meshall and Olran. Something he wanted to explore and he knew his sister would forbid it. Meshall would be angry when she found out, but he didn't care. When there was more of their race, he could have gotten away with it, but now that there were only ten left, and he knew his time was limited. This would have to be fast as they were approaching the 45-hour mark, when Meshall would be sending the incorrect human home. It would be fun, for Mistoff, at least. He would only send the one called Daniel, allowing the others to enter his mind, as he would expect them too. 

------------------------

"What's up?" Jack inquired as he entered the control room.

"Kasuf sent the Sagan Box we left him through the gate." Daniel said as he turned around to tell Jack, his long hair tickled his neck. Long hair? He didn't remember having long hair for a quite a while. Before he could contemplate it, the thought disappeared from his mind.

"What do you think he wants?" Jack asked concerned.

"I don't know." Daniel muttered as the Stargate came to life.

"Open the Iris." General Hammond ordered. They all watched for a few seconds before anything happened. Then a single female in traditional Abydonian dress, entered through the Stargate looking around. She was frightened of the guns pointed at her, but looked up to the control room hoping for admittance. 

"Daniel…" Jack started but Daniel was out of the control room and into the Gateroom, before anyone could stop him.

"Sir, I recommend closing the Iris." Jack stated as he headed down to the Gateroom. 

"Do it!" The General commanded. The technician tried repeatedly, but the Iris would not close, nor could they shut down the Stargate.

"Sha're," Daniel said as he ran into the Gateroom. 

"Husband, my Danyel." She replied with her eyes full of mist.

"No, I know what you are. You're not Sha're." Daniel stated empathically. He was now standing at the bottom of the ramp, while Sha're stood near the top.

"The demon within me sleeps, for the sake of the child." Sha're said looking down at her huge stomach. She looked as though she was about to give birth. "It is I, husband."

"Daniel, not too close." Jack stated, as he and Teal'c entered the Gateroom both armed with Zats.

"Kasuf has sent me here in hopes that your people could remove the demon, before it awakens again." Sha're informed them. Hope filled Daniel's heart.

"Why are you with child?" Daniel asked. He knew it was not his child; it had been too long.

"Apophis." Sha're replied sadly. 

"What does Apophis want with a human child?" Daniel demanded.

"He wants it for his new host. Please my Danyel; do not allow him to take my child." Sha're cried out. 

"I won't, and he'll never again get his hands on you either. I promise." Sha're smiled back at his words. 

"But why a child? He could take anyone as a new host." Jack questioned. 

"Not just any human host, O'Neill, but a Harsesis." Teal'c filled in. 

"Yes." Sha're agreed quietly looking down at the ground. 

"What's a Harsesis?" Daniel asked.

"A Harsesis is a child of two Goa'uld; it is punishable by death to have one. The child would have all the genetic knowledge passed down from both Goa'uld who bore it. The child will be hunted down by other Goa'uld and killed, before it can become mature enough to be taken as a host." Teal'c stated solemnly. 

"That's not going to happen." Jack declared, then turning back to the control room, he questioned. "Sir, why is the Iris still open and the gate active?"

"We don't know Colonel; we're having trouble closing it. Watch yourselves." Hammond replied. 

"Sha're do you know of anything Kasuf is doing to keep the Stargate open?" Daniel asked. Jack wouldn't let him move up the ramp to where she was standing.

"It is not Kasuf, who is doing it." Amaunet made Sha're's eyes glow. "I knew if I gave my host enough time, she would lead me to the Tau'ri." 

Suddenly, Jaffa started pouring through the Stargate. Both sides exchanged rapid and heated fire. But the Jaffa and Sha're were being protected by personal forcefields. SGC personnel backed out of the Gateroom, carrying the wounded with them. Blast doors were sealed as quickly as possible, preventing the Jaffa from exiting to any other part of the SGC. Airmen and Marines lined the halls to block the Jaffa's passage if they escaped the Gateroom.

Minutes later, SG-1 watched the scene, from the observation window in the briefing room. The mountain had been locked down due to the foothold situation. 

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Jack exclaimed, as he recounted the two-dozen Jaffa now controlling the Gateroom. The Stargate had finally shut down. "Sir, how do you want to handle this?"

"I'm open for suggestions." Hammond stated.

"Jack, we have to get her out of there." Daniel pleaded.

"Right now, Dr. Jackson, I don't think that's going to be an option." Hammond responded. 

"He's right, Daniel, there's no way we're going to get to her with that army of Jaffa between us. Plus, they've got those damn force fields on. We're just lucky they haven't blasted through the doors yet." Jack acknowledged. 

"We have to do something. That's my wife down there!" Daniel exclaimed. 

"Right now, she's not Sha're. She's a Goa'uld that has taken over the Gateroom. We've got a few more important things to think about." Jack retorted. 

"O'Neill, Daniel Jackson is correct. We do need to capture Amaunet alive. We may never have a Goa'uld as our prisoner again, and the child she carries will have all the knowledge of the Goa'uld. As it matures we could learn much." Teal'c informed him. 

"How?" Hammond asked.

"Well, Sir, we could flood the Gateroom with a gas, rendering them unconscious." Sam stated. 

"Would it work, Captain?" Hammond questioned. 

"There's only one way to find out, Sir." Jack replied still watching the Gateroom.

"Will it hurt Sha're, or her baby?" Daniel demanded.

"I don't think it will hurt her, I don't know about the baby." Sam answered honestly. 

"Let's do it people. I'm not letting them get a hold of the SGC. We'll set the autodestruct first." Hammond ordered. Sam left to make the preparations. "I'm going to inform the President." Hammond declared as he moved into his office. 

"Jack, we can't - you've got to do something else." Daniel implored. 

"What Daniel? Exactly what else would you have us do?" Jack was angry, but not uncaring for his friend or Sha're.

"I don't know; you're the great military mind. Think of something!" Jack looked at Daniel with his infamous poker face. 

"Daniel, you come up with another plan in the next five minutes, and we'll consider it." He stated as he turned back around to watch the Jaffa and Goa'uld in the Gateroom. How had this happened? Exactly how had a Goa'uld taken over control of their Stargate, he wondered. 

"Do you not believe Captain Carter's plan will work, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, as he moved over to the Colonel's side.

"I hope so Teal'c, I really do. I'd like to take her alive for Daniel's sake, if nothing else. Plus, I'd like to get my hands on some of those personal forcefields; they'd come in handy in the field. Don't you think?"

"Indeed they would." Teal'c agreed.

"Do you have any suggestions to try Teal'c?" Jack asked.

"No, I do not." Teal'c sadly admitted.

"We're ready Sir." Carter's voice came over the radio.

"Very well, proceed, Captain." Hammond ordered. Hammond, Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c, watched from the observation room window as the gas slowly began to fill the room. The Jaffa started falling over unconscious, one by one. 

"Fools!" Amaunet retorted angrily. "This will not stop my plan for destroying the Tau'ri. In fact, it has already begun."

"General Hammond," Dr. Fraiser's voice came over the radio. "We have a situation, Sir."

"What is it, doctor?" The General questioned.

"Sir, several of our people have already died. I don't know exactly why, but I'm guessing it's some type of germ warfare. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Did some of the gas get into the ventilation system?" Hammond asked, concerned. 

"No, Sir, this started before we released the gas." Fraiser answered. 

"Thank you, doctor." Hammond said as he looked at his 2IC. The stakes had just been upped. They all walked down to the control room. People were beginning to die all around the room, and in the corridors. Hammond spoke into the microphone. "What have you done to my people?"

Amaunet laughed as only a Goa'uld could make before answering. 

"My Jaffa carry a virus. It is not deadly to them, but it shall kill all the Tau'ri." She gloated.

"How?" Jack demanded, with obvious anger in his voice.

"Since there is no cure and you only have a little time, I will tell you. The virus is passed from person to person. You cannot stop it. You shall all die, and in a matter of weeks, every Tau'ri will be gone. Then I will present Earth as a present to my Lord Apophis."

"Colonel, we can't allow this virus to escape the SGC." Hammond stated.

"Yes, Sir." Jack and Hammond started entering their codes for the autodestruct. This was not how Jack wanted to die, but somehow he'd known it would come to this once Sha're had walked through that wormhole.

Hammond left to make that last phone call to the President, while Sam rejoined her team in the control room. They stood watching the count down without speaking, as the last of the Jaffa finally succumbed to the gas pumped into the Gateroom. Sha're could barely stand, and then with cry, she too fell. She reached her hands out towards the control room.

"My Danyel, please forgive me." Sha're cried out.

"Jack, I'm going down there." Daniel declared.

"Daniel, no!" Jack reached out and grabbed his arm. 

"Jack, she's my wife, and I think she's in control right now. I'm going." Daniel stated defiantly.

"Colonel," Sam said, "the gas amounts won't affect him now. It was a short acting agent."

"Daniel…" Jack started, but looked over at the count down. There was less than 40 seconds left until they all died, so he let go of his arm. 

O'Neill ordered the SF's to allow him to pass. Daniel took a deep breath then slide his key card into the reader, and hurried over to Sha're.

"Sha're?" Daniel hesitantly asked.

"I am here, my Danyel. Please forgive me." She replied, with tears in her eyes. 

"There's nothing to forgive Sha're, you didn't do this. I love you." Daniel said with his heart, and held her tight in his arms. 

"I love you, my Danyel," were the last words Sha're spoke. Then Amaunet took over pulling herself away from Daniel.

"You shall die by my hand, as my host watches helplessly." Amaunet avowed bringing a hand device to Daniel's head. Pain, white-hot pain, was all he saw as he felt the rumble of the mountain begin.

----------------

The Planet Laboratory 

Alarms blared inside the laboratory control room. One of the human's vital signs was going critical. Meshall ran in to discovering Mistoff had not heeded her warnings, and now Daniel was going into shock. Meshall ordered Daniel to be stabilized, and then rushed into the laboratory where she confronted Mistoff. 

_"I told you, NOT to send them anywhere! What have you done?"_ Meshall angrily questioned her brother.

_"Only what you and Olran are afraid to do."_ Mistoff replied smugly. 

_"You used something specific from his past! You KNOW humans can't handle that, and they were too weak for another round. This is the last straw, Mistoff. You are banned from ever returning to the laboratory. Guards, take him away. We shall decide his punishment later."_ Meshall angrily informed her brother. Then she went over to Daniel, wiping the sweat from his brow, as she gently talked to him. _"Daniel, you must calm yourself. You are safe. It was only a nightmare. When you awaken, you will be back on your planet with your friends. You shall not remember what has happened here. You are safe, rest now. Rest."_

Meshall talked to Daniel until his vital signs returned near normal. Allowing another Tolbena to take over for her with Daniel, she turned to Olran who waiting at the entrance to the room. Since all three-test subjects were asleep, they could talk normally now.

"Meshall, I am so sorry. Is the human going to die?" Olran asked with grave concern in his voice.

"No, he will live, but it was a close call. I should have never left them, especially with Mistoff." Meshall had tears in her eyes.

"You needed to rest; I should have stayed with them. Wife, we must all work together if our goal is to be reached. Come, let us view from the observatory what he did." Olran put his arm around his distraught wife, leading her from the room. He would personally deal with Mistoff later. 

After viewing the tapes made from Daniel's mind, Olran turned to Meshall asking her. "What do you want to do with them now? We have very little Macknee left?"

"I want to send the human, Daniel, home. I had intended to keep him, and return O'Neill home. But after this fiasco, I fear he would be unable to do as we ask." Meshall said somberly. "I know, you do not care for O'Neill, and that was why I was going to send him home, but now…" Her voice trailed off.

"Wife, I have nothing against, O'Neill, his character is strong. I was just worried he would wear you down, before we completed the experiments. That is the only reason I wanted to return him." Olran tried comforting his wife. 

"Olran, I know that O'Neill and Carter are the best choices, and maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Would you honestly support me, if I choose to give it to them?" Meshall asked. 

"I will support any decision you make, my wife, you know most what is at stake. O'Neill maybe the difficult, but I believe you are correct; he is the one. The female, I was unsure of at first, but not now. Her character is as strong as O'Neill's is which is interesting in its own right. However you wish to proceed, we shall." Olran gently encouraged his wife. 

"I wanted the female from the beginning, because of her ties to the Tok'ra. And O'Neill because he has known pain, and knows what it means to sacrifice for the common good. Those are the two I wish to keep, husband." Meshall said, placing her head on her husband's arm. "I just wish; I could have kept Mistoff from harming Daniel." Meshall cried softly, while Olran comforted her.

"Very well, I will see to it. I will send Krysna to relieve Raynott at the same time." Olran stated gently to his wife. "You should take some time to rest. Marknum and I shall stand guard. Mistoff will not be allowed out of his room, until this is over. I promise." Olran smiled at her and she willingly agreed.

Olran was worried about her; Meshall took great pain and care, to keep all their test subjects safe and well. As for Mistoff; he had not attempted anything to injure one of the test subjects in a long time, but this time he went too far, Olran feared. They were to close to their goal, and he would not allow Mistoff to endanger the process for some personal satisfaction. He didn't understand why Mistoff did some of the things he did. Could not Mistoff understand why they were doing this, he wondered. 

Olran informed Krysna that she was to take Daniel home. He would be fine, but would need many hours of sleep before consciousness returned. Krysna would make sure the humans of his world could not awaken him, before his body, and psyche completely recovered. Krysna understood, and promised to do as Olran and Meshall ordered. She would stay on Earth allowing Raynott to return, and while there, she would care for both Teal'c and Daniel. 

Krysna never cared for Mistoff, and often worried when he was left to care for test subjects. She never understood how Meshall and Mistoff could be family, and yet, be so different. Meshall took her work seriously, and genuinely cared about those in her charge. Mistoff often had other ideas, and he had seriously harmed several species over the years; one had even died. Krysna was still a child when it happened, but she had hoped the episode would have him banned from the studies. Unfortunately, with so few of her people left, it took everyone's help when performing the studies.

**The SGC**

"Unscheduled incoming wormhole, Sir." The technician announced, with a smile on his face he said. "It's SG-1, Sir." 

"It's about time." Hammond declared with relief in his voice, as he made his way down to the Gateroom. It had been 46 hours since SG-1 had gone through the Stargate, and there had been no contact since. Raynott followed close behind him. 

Daniel Jackson appeared to walk through the Stargate and then collapsed onto the ramp below. The gate closed behind him.

"Get a medical team in here." Hammond ordered as he looked at the stricken young man. His color was pale, his breathing shallow, and he was now unconscious. 

_"Krysna, what is going on?" _Raynott asked.__

_"Mistoff injured this one called Daniel. Olran has ordered me to stay, and allow you to return home. I will make sure he recovers fully, as Meshall wants."_

_"No, child, I will stay. I can take care of him. The Jaffa is still not well enough for me to leave yet."_

_"But father, you have been here a long time, you need to eat and rest." _Krysna protested. 

_"They have food here, and I have been able to rest. They have a device, which if we're not careful can show us. It cannot harm us nothing here can, but still it is difficult to remain hidden when they bring it out. Meshall had several questions; I want you to report back the answers to her for me." _ Raynott gave his report to his daughter. _"Now, leave and tell Meshall, not to worry, both subjects will be fine. I earnestly hope and believe she has found the ones that we have been seeking for so long."_

_"Yes, father." _Krysna reluctantly agreed, but knew better than to argue with her father.__

_"Oh, Krysna, there's one more thing. Tell Meshall that I have found a wonderful new food source of these humans. It's called Jell-o. I will bring the formulation, when I return to our planet." _ Raynott smiled broadly, as he informed her, and then he opened the wormhole for her to return to their world. Krysna smiled. 

_"Yes, father, I shall."_ She said as she stepped into the wormhole and it closed after her. Krysna would excitedly wait her father's return. Several times, he had found wonderful new foods on distant planets while on watch. When he used the word 'wonderful', instead of 'most interesting', it was something to look forward too. Krysna would proudly inform their Queen. Perhaps it would bring a smile to Meshall's sadden face, after the blight of the one called Daniel at her brother's hands.

Hammond looked back as the wormhole engaged and quickly disengaged. He and the medical team were just exiting the door of the Gateroom.

"Lieutenant was that wormhole was engaged to P13X666?" He questioned the technician on duty. 

"Affirmative." The Lieutenant replied.

"Dial it again. We'll see if we can find the rest of SG-1." The chevrons began to lock then as it had each time they tried, the seventh chevron would not lock, and a wormhole refused to engage. 

"Alright, keep trying every half hour anyway." Hammond stated as he went to the infirmary.

Entering the infirmary, Hammond could see several medical personnel working on Dr. Jackson. He couldn't see Raynott, who was making sure they could not awaken him. Raynott ventured over to Teal'c, continuing the healing of his injuries, as he listened to the interchange between the doctor and her leader. 

"Doctor, report." Hammond requested after several minutes.

"Well, Sir, he has no physical injuries. Although his PET scan shows, significant brain wave activity. I don't know why yet, but he is in a coma. Although not in any danger. What about the other members of SG-1? Did any of them come back, Sir?"

"No, doctor, not yet. Someone sent an Iris code through, but only Dr. Jackson came through. I'm going to assume for the moment, it was Dr. Jackson, who sent it. He walked through the Stargate before collapsing. We've already tried to redial the coordinates, but still can't get a lock."

"So, he was conscious then?" She asked.

"I believe so, doctor, at least, long enough to dial the gate, and get home." 

"That's good news, Sir. His condition could be from total exhaustion. I'll let you know as soon as I know more." 

"How's Teal'c, doctor?" Hammond asked.

"About the same, Sir."

"Dr. Fraiser?" A nurse standing next to Teal'c requested her presence.

"Yes, Anna, what's going on?" Fraiser questioned as she walked over to Teal'c's bedside.

"I don't know how to explain it, Ma'am, but several bruises have just disappeared, while I watched." The nurse exclaimed.

Fraiser looked at Hammond and smiled. "It's okay, I've seen it too. We have a 'ghost' that appears to be healing him, a little at a time."

"A ghost, Ma'am?" The nurse had a questioning and concerned look on her face. 

"Something we can't see." Fraiser smiled back. She was glad Teal'c was being helped, but she would really like to know what was going on in her infirmary. And where were the rest of her friends.

"Doctor, let me know the moment one of them is awake." Hammond requested, as he was leaving the infirmary.

"Yes, Sir." Fraiser responded. 

Hammond was glad Teal'c was being healed, but something just didn't feel right. He wanted to know what was happening on his base, and why they couldn't reach the rest of SG-1. Hammond thought about doing another sweep of the base with the TERs, especially concentrating on the infirmary, but thought better of it, for some unknown reason.

Raynott smiled, he was getting used to how this human, Hammond's mind worked. He didn't want to keep avoiding the TER stream, now that he had two humans to heal. 

**The Planet Laboratory **

"Carter," O'Neill said as he sat up rubbing his head.

"Sir," she responded, sitting up slowly.

"Where's Daniel?" he asked.

"I don't know. He was here when I went to sleep." She responded.

"Well, he's not here now." O'Neill said as he walked over to the backpacks. He ran his hand over the object he was hiding, as the door slide open.

Olran walked into the room and over to O'Neill putting his hand on O'Neill's shoulder. O'Neill grabbed the object and spun around, caught Olran by the neck, holding the tent post at an angle ready to thrust it in. 

"Colonel O'Neill, I mean you no harm." Olran started.

"Yeah, where's Daniel?" O'Neill demanded.

"He is safe. He has been returned home to your world."

"What's it going to take for Carter and me to get out of here?" O'Neill questioned still holding the tent post in a threatening manner at the alien's neck.

"That is what I have come to talk to you about." Olran answered, easily removing himself from the Colonel's grip. O'Neill looked dumbfounded and let the tent post fall to the ground. So maybe it wasn't such a good weapon after all.

"What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.

Olran gestured with his hand. "If you will follow me, I will explain what has been happening." The three walked out the door and then out of the building.

O'Neill didn't know what to think at first. At least the alien hadn't hit the button on his belt. But how he got out of his grip so easily, Jack didn't know. He looked at the trees and wondered for a moment, what would people on Earth, think of blue and purple trees? Tired of waiting for Olran to explain, he spoke up first.

"So, where are we going?" Jack asked.

"To the Stargate, but first I would like you to see something on the way. If after I show you it, you wish to leave, you may."

"I'm sure we're going to want to leave." O'Neill stated sarcastically. 

"Perhaps Colonel, but please, there is something you must know first." Olran stated as he lead them up the path.

As they got to the top of the hill, Carter exclaimed. "Colonel, this looks just like…"

"Yeah, it kind of does, doesn't it Major? Olran, what's going on here?"

"This device is patterned after the one on Latona, it is a universal Sentinel. It will destroy all Goa'uld in the universe." Olran explained, looking both the humans in the eyes. He truly hoped Meshall was right, and they were the ones to give their technology too. 

"So, why haven't you activated it?" O'Neill asked with concern in his voice.

"Because, you see, Colonel, we are no longer corporal beings. We have no structured physical bodies, as you have. We can't operate the device." Olran responded.

"Why are you showing it to us?" Carter asked almost afraid of the answer.

"Major Carter, this Sentinel, requires two people to activate it. We have been searching for the right beings for a long time, and believe we have found them in you."

"What do you mean?" O'Neill asked pointedly.

"I assure you, Colonel, there will only be a momentary feeling of pain as the machine activates."

"What exactly does that mean?" O'Neill asked louder.

"Once activated, this device will rid the universe of all Goa'uld symbiotes even Anubis. But those activating it…shall also perish." Olran answered forlornly. 

"NO WAY!" O'Neill shouted shaking his head. That was not what he wanted to hear. 

"The tests we performed were to determine your reaction to the Goa'uld, and your characters. We had hoped in you, we had found allies to rid the universe of Goa'uld once and for all. The choice is yours Colonel, Major. If you choose not too, you may leave." Olran told them.

"Wait a minute," Carter started. "You said all symbiotes. What about the Tok'ra and the Jaffa?" 

"They too, shall perish. Any being with a live symbiote will die." Olran stated gravely. 

"You want us to kill the Tok'ra and the rebel Jaffa?" She said incredulously. 

"I don't know about that, Olran. They're our allies." O'Neill stated.

"We can not distinguish genetically between them, and each symbiote a rebel Jaffa carries will eventually take a host becoming a Goa'uld." Olran reminded them. "It will be a painless death for the host and symbiote. I assure you. We have worked with the Asgard for many centuries, trying to undo the genetic manipulation the Goa'ulds have done to the Jaffa. There is no way. I'm sorry for that, truly I am. The choice is yours. I will be at the Stargate when you have made your decision. If you choose to do this, I'm sure you will want to say goodbye to your friends first." Olran bowed then turned and headed for the Stargate.

"Carter what do you think? Will it work?" He asked her as they moved around the machine studying it.

"Sir, you can't be seriously thinking of doing it. I mean wiping out the Tok'ra?" She said indigently.

"I don't know, Carter, we've been looking for a way to rid the universe of the Goa'uld for a long time." He replied, as he walked around the machine again.

"The Goa'uld, yes, but not the Tok'ra or the rebel Jaffa." 

"What do you think is going to happen to the rebel Jaffa, as symbiotes become more scarce to obtain? Even now, they'd prefer to die then take the Tritonen."

"But my father…"

"I know that's one of the wrinkles I see in this plan." He answered looking back at her. "The other one is that I don't want you to die." 

"Sir, if we're going to kill off all the Tok'ra, and the rebel Jaffa, I'd rather not be around to see it."

"So what are you saying? Will it work and do you want to do this?" O'Neill asked directly. 

"Yes, from what I can tell and know of the Latona's Sentinel, it will work. I don't see as if we have much choice, Sir."

"I don't either." Jack said grimly. "Maybe we should go and inform the General what to be expecting."

"Yes, Sir." She replied as they headed towards the Stargate. "You know, Sir, Teal'c and Bra'tac should make it through this unharmed, since they don't have symbiotes anymore."

"Alive maybe, but not unharmed," Jack's voice was low, and he looked away from his 2IC.

"What do you mean, Sir?"

"Rya'c won't make it through." Jack said softly.

"Oh, yeah," Carter responded, almost as softly. They walked in silence as they made their way to the Stargate.

"What have you decided?" Olran asked gently, as they walked up to the Stargate. He already knew by the looks on their faces.

"Well, we need to call home, and tell the General what's going to happen, first." O'Neill stated.

"Very well, thank you Colonel and Major." Olran said as he stepped aside to allow Carter to dial Earth. 

"This is O'Neill. I need to talk to Hammond." He stated into the MALP's camera.

"Colonel O'Neill, we'd thought we'd lost you. There's been no contact, and we haven't been able to establish a wormhole to your destination for over 52 hours. What's going on?"

"Well, about that, Sir, I'm sorry. It was out of our control. Are Daniel and Teal'c alright?" O'Neill asked.

"They're both in the infirmary and Dr. Fraiser informs me they will both be fine. Colonel, what's going on?" The General asked again.

"Sir, the local inhabitants have a device that will wipe out all the Goa'uld from the universe." O'Neill started.

"That sounds positive, Colonel. Are they willing to share the technology?"

"Yes, Sir, but there's a couple of problems."

"What type of problems, Colonel?" Hammond asked with suspicion. 

"Well, for starters, when it's activated every symbiote in the universe will be wiped out, including the Tok'ra and the Jaffa, Sir."

"I see. You said a couple of problems, I take it there's more."

"Yes, Sir. You see it takes two humans to make the machine work. Carter and I are going to…make it happen."

"What exactly do you mean Colonel? Major?" Hammond demanded.

"What he means, Sir is that both Colonel O'Neill and myself, will also be killed by the machine." Carter answered.

"I see. I'm not sure I can authorize this." Hammond replied. 

"The decision has already been made, Sir. Sorry but this is just to inform you of what is about to happen." O'Neill answered. 

"Colonel, there's got to be another way. I'm going to send through a scientific team. Let's see if we can find a way to activate this machine without human lives being lost."

"No, Sir."

"Excuse me Colonel?" Hammond retorted.

"The locals have searched for a long time to find someone who can run the machine. Anyone coming through the Stargate would have to undergo…tests. Carter and I are the only two people who have ever qualified." O'Neill informed him.

"What do you mean by tests?"

"Let's just say to determine a person's character. General, the Asgard are involved in this too. They say there is no other way and I believe them."

"Colonel O'Neill, I'm not comfortable losing two of my best people on this assignment."

"I understand that, Sir, but this is what we do. We save the planet. This time we get to save the universe as well."

"And just who is going to be around to save the planet next time?" Hammond demanded.

"With the Goa'uld out of the way, Earth should be fine."

"What about the replicators?"

"Well, Thor said we wouldn't be seeing them for a few thousand years. I don't think Carter or I would be in a position to help, when they do come back around. Sir, please don't make our final act to defy orders." O'Neill requested.

"Colonel, I don't like this."

"I understand, Sir. I'm not to keen on it either. Believe me, if I could do this alone I would have already sent Major Carter home."

"Sir, the technology is not something we would be able to understand. It's on the level of the Asgard and more advance than anything the Ancients left behind. I agree with Colonel O'Neill, this is the only way." Carter stated.

"Major it sounds like we are dealing with something similar to the Sentinel." Hammond replied.

"Yes, Sir, we are. It's a similar technology, but way more advanced."

"If it's similar to the Sentinel then we should be able to figure it out, and not lose people in the process." Hammond stated with authority.

"No, Sir. As I said, it's too advanced. We would not be able to do that." Carter argued. 

"Colonel, Major, you're talking about wiping out our allies, when you activate this machine." Hammond reminded them.

"General, I don't see any way around it. With the exception of a couple of Tok'ra, we wouldn't be loosing much there. The rebel Jaffa, well, that's a different story. Unfortunately, there's just no alternative this time." O'Neill argued.

"Colonel, how do I know you're not under the influence of some alien technology and you would not be killing people instead of the Goa'uld when the machine is activated?"

"You're just going to have to trust us, Sir."

"I see, Colonel, and there's nothing I can say to change either of your minds." Hammond didn't like this, but he trusted SG-1 to do the right thing.

"No, Sir." Carter and O'Neill stated together.

"Well, it's been a pleasure knowing and serving with you both. God speed and good luck, Colonel, Major." Hammond replied sadly.

"Thank you General, the same is true with you." Carter stated trying not to let the tears wanting to fall impart into her words. 

"Yes, Sir. Oh, General, would you do one thing for me?" O'Neill asked.

"Anything Jack, what is it?" Hammond replied honestly.

"Tell Teal'c…I'm sorry." Jack barely got the words out. 

"Sure son, I'll tell him." Hammond promised, without the full weight of O'Neill's request registering yet.

"O'Neill out." He said as he turned off the MALP. "Well, Carter, shall we do this?"

"Yes, Sir." She replied, braver than she felt. They walked in silence for few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

I'm walking up this hill to my death and not just my death but the Colonel's too. I'm going to be killing my dad and some friends when I do this. I can't believe I actually agreed to it. I don't want my dad to die, but I know if he were here, he would do it. There's one thing I want before I die, Sam thought. She looked at her CO out the corner of her eye, wondering what he would think. She wasn't sure she had the courage, but this was the last chance that she'd ever get. They kept walking towards the machine in silence, as she struggled to find the words.

O'Neill wondered what she was thinking in her last few moments, but didn't want to pry. He was afraid of the answer. If she asked him for something, he didn't know if he could go through with this. He had to continue thinking of her as his 2IC and not Sam; otherwise, he'd not be able to do this. And this was what they'd been trying to do for years; looking for a way to rid the universe of the Goa'uld. Could he let this opportunity to go by? He slowed a bit to watch her as she walked ahead. If only, he thought…if only life had played out differently. If only they hadn't left their love for one another in that room. He admonished himself for his thoughts. She had moved on with life, and had someone waiting for her at home. So why exactly was she walking up this hill with him to their deaths? There was no way, Sam…err Carter, could still want him. So, he wouldn't say anything; he'd play the professional soldier to the end. 

Carter slowed to allow him to catch up with her, not being in a particular hurry as it was. She wondered what he was thinking about, but was afraid to ask. Years ago, she would have, not now. Now they had grown apart, she'd even started dating someone…Pete. He hadn't even crossed her mind when she made her decision. She wondered what the Air Force would tell him and her family, why her body wouldn't be returned for burial? It was a sobering thought, and suddenly, she needed to know what the Colonel was thinking, so she spoke first.

"What are you thinking, Sir?" Carter asked.

"Why you agreed to do this?" He stated with little emotion in his voice.

"Well, the same reasons you did. I suppose."

"Well, me that's easy. I'm a broken down, old soldier, with no one waiting for me at home. You on the other hand, have someone at home waiting." He stopped her and turned her to face him. "Sam, I have to be sure this is what you want. I can get someone else here to do this thing."

"With all due respect, Sir, no you can't. I'm the one that has to do it. As far as someone at home, I hadn't even thought of that." She lied.

"Well, you need to think about it." 

"This is what we do. We save the world and the universe. I've made my decision, so unless you've changed your mind, we should get going." Softly she added. "Besides, the person I want isn't at home." 

"I haven't changed my mind. I just needed to make sure you're okay with it, Sam." He replied, letting go of her. 

Sam turned walking towards the Sentinel, thinking. Well, there I told him, he has to make the next move. They continued in silence. 

Olran watched silently as the pair continued in their own thoughts, he shook his head, disbelieving what was about to finally happen. They reached the Sentinel a few minutes later. 

"You will both need to stand on opposite sides and hold the white bar. It will only be a second before the machine activates. If either of you lets go, it will power down." Olran stated. 

"Well Major, I guess this is it. It's been both an honor and pleasure serving with you, Sam." O'Neill stated.

"It's been an honor and a privilege serving with you too, Sir…Jack." Sam agreed and smiled her beautiful smile at him. 

"Shall we save the universe one last time?" O'Neill asked, as they both took a step forward, and firmly grasped the white bars in front of them. A white light emanated from the machine and engulfed both of them. 

-------------

O'Neill sat up shaking his head. Looking over he saw Carter lying in the grass next to him; he shook her.

"Carter," his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Sir," she replied sitting up shaking her head. "What happened?"

"I don't know. Where are Daniel and Teal'c?" He asked.

"I don't know, they came through the Stargate with us, didn't they?" 

"Yeah…they did, let's see if we can find them." 

After looking around for a few minutes unable to located either Daniel or Teal'c, O'Neill decided to return to Earth. They needed to find Daniel and Teal'c, and to determine if they had come through the Stargate after all. 

"Carter, dial it up. Let's see if they're at home." O'Neill ordered, looking around at the trees. "Carter, the trees are all green."

"Yes, Sir, that's what the MALP showed when it first came through." She responded. "Were you expecting some other color?"

Olran and Meshall smiled, watching them go through the Stargate. They had finally found the right people to entrust with the secrets of their technology. Raynott would know what to do when they exited the Stargate. This had been a good day, and the experiments had gone better than they'd hoped. The Macknee had worn off, and they could see the trees for the shades of green they really were. Soon, with the help of the Tau'ri, the universe would be free from Goa'uld oppression. 

As the last two members of SG-1 came out of the Stargate, General Hammond met them at the base of the ramp.

"Colonel, Major, where have you been? We've not had any contact for nearly 56 hours. Teal'c was sent back through the Stargate almost immediately after you left. Dr. Jackson came back about 10 hours ago. What happened?" Hammond demanded.

"Fifty-Six hours, Sir?" O'Neill questioned absently rubbing his leg.

"Sir, we've been gone that long?" Carter asked rubbing the back of her neck. 

"Oh, yes, Major. We've had the base locked down for nearly two days. Report to the infirmary." Hammond ordered. 

"Yes, Sir." They both said and headed out the Gateroom. Raynott followed close behind.

"Do you remember anything of the past couple of days, Colonel?" Hammond asked, as they made their way to the infirmary. 

"Nothing, Sir. We just woke up next to the Stargate, and Daniel and Teal'c weren't there. We thought we'd just see if they were here, or get help to find them."

"Well, they're both here. You two, on the other hand have been missing for over two days." Hammond said, as they walked into the infirmary. "Dr. Fraiser, look who finally made it home, although with no explanation or memory as to where they've been."

"Sam, Colonel O'Neill, thank goodness you're both alright. We'll do a full physical and see what we can find." Fraiser stated with a smile; her friends were finally home safe and alive.

Raynott went over to Teal'c first and awoke him from his slumber. He did the same to Daniel, and then sat back watching, as the reunion took place.

The base was taken off alert and out of lock down mode, shortly after the remaining members of SG-1 came home. Raynott had implanted the thought into their minds that no danger still existed. 

-------------------

The next day, Colonel O'Neill sat in the briefing room busily doing paperwork. Griff entered as he headed down towards the control room.

"Colonel, good to see you're back in one piece." Griff stated.

"Thanks, it's good to be back. I still have no idea where we were or what happen to us, but doc gave us a clean bill of health." O'Neill replied.

"I'm glad to hear it. I understand the General locked out the coordinates to that planet."

"Yah, he said, he didn't want to take the risks with it. Where are you headed?" O'Neill asked.

"To the beach planet." Griff answered with a smile.

"You still owe me for that one." O'Neill grinned at him.

"Uh…after what Dixon and I went through trying to get you back, I think you owe us." Griff winked and walked out the door. Teal'c, Daniel, and Carter walked in.

"Sir, do you have a minute?" Carter asked, as the team took their usual spots around the conference room table.

"Sure, Carter, what's up?" O'Neill asked, looking up from his mission report, which was mostly blank. 

"I've been thinking…"

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" O'Neill stated playfully. She smiled at him before continuing.

"I've got an idea about a weapon to take out Anubis's super soldiers." She started.

"I think that might work." O'Neill interrupted her.

"Jack?" Daniel questioned. 

"Sir," Carter said questioningly, "I haven't even told you what it is yet."

"You want to remodulate the TER, right?" O'Neill stated matter of factly.

"Yes, Sir, how did you know?" She gave him a questioning look. Teal'c raised his eyebrow at O'Neill. 

Suddenly, alarms went off as the Stargate opened, and SG-1 ran over to the observation window. Raynott could be visible seen by all as he bowed deeply.

"I'm glad we could be of service, and that our technology is now in the right hands. Humans of the Tau'ri, please use it wisely, as you destroy the Goa'uld. And thank you for the Jell-o!" Raynott exclaimed, and then walked through the Stargate.

"Carter?" O'Neill began.

"Yes, Sir?" She answered.

"Just make sure you modulate the power crystal correctly the first time, okay?"

"Yes, Sir, I will." She smiled back at him.

"Good, let's go talk to the General. He's going to want to know who that was." O'Neill said.

"He's not the only one. What's going on here Jack?" Daniel asked.

"Indeed. O'Neill, have you withheld something?" Teal'c questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah, kids, lets go talk to the General." O'Neill said smiling. Carter's smile was almost as big as his was.

O'Neill and Carter walked into the General's office to explain, closely followed by Daniel and Teal'c. Sam and Jack knew Raynott's name but could not remember the experiments. To everyone's surprise, Jack was able to describe in detail the specs for several advanced weapons, which were lethal only to symbiotes. It almost ruined his dumb soldier routine. But then, having the information downloaded by aliens into his mind was a good excuse. 

Fin


End file.
